Sex and law novel tops sales charts

Fish Sunday Thinking, written by a former trainee at the international law firm Hammonds, has shot to number five on the Amazon sales list and has already sold out at Waterstone's central London shop in Piccadilly.

The novel has created a storm in the legal world after its author, writing under the pseudonym "Alex Gilmore", revealed the tales of sexism were based on real events. In one episode, he describes senior legal partners using their tongues to extract a slice of lemon from a female trainee's cleavage on a weekend "bonding" session.

"Gilmore" was yesterday revealed to be 26-year-old Paul Wragg, who now works in employment law for Robin Simon in Birmingham. Mr Wragg was not returning calls, but he may have to get used to the publicity.

The literary agent for Belle de Jour, another best-selling pseudonymous author, is understood to have approached Mr Wragg with an offer to represent him.

Richard Franklin, head of the book's publisher, Arima, said the novel's overnight success had come "out of the blue". Arima is a small publishing company that has been running for just over a year.

"It is nice to have something as popular as this. Perhaps it will be our Tubular Bells," said Mr Franklin, in reference to Mike Oldfield's 1970s instrumental classic which succeeded in launching the entrepreneurial career of the young Richard Branson.